


The Blueblood Chronicles

by LittleBaguette



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Historical Fantasy, M/M, Master/Servant, Multi, Service Submission, Submission, War, biography
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2015-08-05
Packaged: 2018-03-29 01:26:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3877114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleBaguette/pseuds/LittleBaguette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Serving the Grand Highblood is no easy task. Darkleer has no choice, he has been chosen to serve the Grand Highblood until his death, and possibly even after. Darkleer belongs to the Highblood, he is his Lord and Master and he shall never, ever disobey him.</p><p>From the ripe age of 9 sweeps to his death, this story shall cover Darkleer's life events.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In which we are introduced to young Darkleer

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everybody! First fo all, thank you for clicking on the link as you are about to enjoy this story.  
> This is the first time I've written a fanfiction in a long time, so I hope you'll enjoy it!
> 
> Comments, kudos and critiques are greatly appreciated!
> 
>  
> 
> WARNING: This story contains many fancharacters while still focusing on the canon ones. Pay no mind to them, some are important to theplot, wheras others are just there as extras. Have a good read! :D
> 
> ~Emi

 

 

Our story begins in the dorms of the Imperial Military Academy of Alternia, an elite school for young highbloods who wish to serve the Empress with all of their beings. A school where young highbloods were taught to be highbloods and where the students learnt their places in the harsh, unforgiving world that was Alternian society.

The sun had set an hour or two ago, it was time for the young trolls to get up. The first to be awoken were the Tealbloods, then came the Ceruleans, the Navy Blues, and finally the Violets, the seadwellers who had the luxury of staying in bed half an hour later than their landdwelling counterparts.

Horuss Zahhak awoke from his sleep fifteen minutes before his two roommates, Chiron and Eponaa. He took the time to change into his uniform and brush his long black hair. His hair was perfect, as was everything about him. Horuss was a perfectionist and he refused to present himself as anything else but a clean-cut student for all to see.  His teachers adored him, his classmates looked up to him… He was, indeed, perfection.

He buttoned up the navy blue shirt of his uniform and tucked it in his black trousers before he put on his boots and walked over to his roommates' recuperacoons. He first nudged Chiron for him to wake up, telling him to wake the girl that shared their room. The Academy didn't separate their students by sex as they thought that it was a waste of time and that they should get used to seeing the bodies of the opposite sex sooner or later.

Groaning, Chiron pushed Horuss' hand away and got up, wiping the sopor off his chest before he went over to wake Eponaa. The girl opened her eyes before the boy had laid a hand on her, getting out of the recuperacoon to get out of the room, telling the two boys that she was going off to take her morning shower.

When she was done, the trio cantered down the stairs to get to the grand dining hall where the students were yet again separated by caste. Teals to the far left, then came the ceruleans, then the royal blues, and, finally, on a much nicely decorated table, the violets.

At the end of the hall was a long table where teachers from all highblooded castes sat, and behind them was the large flag of the Alternian Empire as well as a portrait of their beloved Empress. The young trolls saluted the flag and portrait with the side of their fist pressed to their heart before they sang the anthem. Their conviction in their voices ranged from 'I'm doing this because I have to' to full-blown passion and devotion towards the Empire.

When they were done and the headmaster had given them permission, the young trolls sat down and chattered idly at the table. Chiron was the loudest, explaining to his two roommates this vivid dream that he had the night before which had him tossing and turning in his recuperacoon. Eponaa laughed at his descriptions and Horuss just grinned along, sipping from his glass of milk.

When breakfast was over, all the students were to come to the front courtyard where the designated students were to hoist the Imperial flag. They stayed in silence, observing a minute to think about the Empress and what they could all do for Her. Then the bell rang and the students were to retrieve their books for their first class of the day. This morning, Horuss had an hour and a half of political science followed by two hours of Study of the Hemospectrum. The young blueblood had his messenger bag on his shoulder, his heavy books inside as he carried it. He soon arrived in the classroom, taking the second last seat that was available, leaving the last seat to his right.

The teacher soon walked in, he was a plump, middle-aged blueblood. He settled his books on the teacher's desk and excused himself for his lateness. He then took the list of names that was on the desk, calling the students' names.

"Mr. Cronus Ampora?" he called first, his finger tapping the roster.

He waited for a moment before the door of the classroom swung open and a carefree-looking seadweller appeared in the doorway.

As the class stared at him in silence, Horuss sighed, looking at the violetblood as dully as possible.

There he was, Cronus Ampora himself.

Horuss wasn't a fan of the boy. Cronus thought that he was above anybody in this class, in this school, including the seadwellers.  The violet was a prince and he truly acted like one, as a spoilt little bastard who thought everything was to be his and Horuss simply _despised_ him.

Cronus didn't exactly tolerate Horuss' existence either, he thought that he was too serious, often joking around with his fellow seadwellers that the blue obviously had something up his wastechute for him to be so stern all the time… And the violet often imagined that that something was his bulge.

"Mr. Ampora, you are late. Now take a seat and do not bother us." Said the teacher, motioning to the seat next to Horuss.

Cronus glared a bit as the teacher turned around and continued to call out names from the roster. The young seadweller walked over and dropped himself on the seat next to Horuss, looking down on him condescendingly.

Aggression among students was sometimes encouraged 'to weed out the weak ones' but the teachers who taught the more information-heavy classes tended to accept it less. Inwardly Cronus scoffed at the thought of the heavy blueblood getting on his case. He was also a higher blood than the teacher, so really the adult should feel fucking _honoured_ that he was even bothering to come to class.

This school was his first real structured setting and it chafed against his highblooded right to whatever he pleased whenever he pleased, and that included annoying his hatecrush.

Cronus turned to smirk at Horuss who simply ignored him, rolling his eyes before the teacher reached the end of the roster with Horuss Zahhak's name. He raised his hand to notify that he was indeed present in class.

The class went on for a while, the teacher went on and on about the political ties between the Empress and the Grand Highblood's cult.

Horuss was taking notes religiously. He had always been an excellent student, after all. He wrote into his notebook in blue ink, brows knitted together as he concentrated on the teacher's words and complete analysis of the situation.

"Bein' a good boy again are we, Zahhak?" Cronus snarked at the blueblood, interrupting his train of thought.

Horuss gave him a side-eye before he looked back to his notebook, his upper lip curling in irritation when the seadweller started poking Horuss with his pencil. When he had irritated him enough, the blueblood grabbed the pencil and glared back at Cronus, breaking said pencil in his hand.

"If I can do this to your pen, I can do this to your horns. Leave me _alone_."

Breaking a pen wasn't that big of a deal, but the mental image of the same done to Cronus' sleek and symmetrical horns was an intimidating thought. Sadly, the seadweller couldn't do the sensible thing and drop it there, as the students sitting behind them were now laughing at _him_ instead of Horuss, which turned Cronus' fright into indignant anger; fins trembling angrily and flushing out of hostile embarrassment.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't." He hissed back, reaching forward to grab a hold of the blueblood's long hair and give it a sharp tug. "'Cause you're just blue an I'm fuckin' violet. I'm worth ten of you."

Horuss was about to snap his wrist; not for his comment—because Cronus was right to assume his position as the blueblood's superior—but for the fact that he _dared_ to touch his hair.

Just as he was about to blow up at him, he was interrupted by another pencil poking at his arm.

"Psst, Horuss." Said a weak voice coming from his left. One of his tealblooded classmates by the name of Wakase was bothering him, asking to see his notes as he wasn't quick to write things down.

Without a word, Horuss pushed his notebook over to Wakase for him to copy.

The teacher turned back and clasped his hands together over his prominant stomach "Very well!" he called out to get all the youngsters' attentions. "Who among you can tell me on what are based the beliefs of the Dark Carnival, which I advise you to shorten to 'D-C' as you take notes. So..." He said, crossing his arms before he turned to look at Cronus.

"Mr. Ampora who enjoys bothering the most studious of his classmates." he announced almost accusingly "Can _you_ tell me what the Grand Highblood's cult believes in?"

"Uh…" not very dignified, looking at the teacher like an antlerbeast caught in a bright light. Cronus quickly turned it into a scoff, as if the answer was obvious and beneath him to be asked. Just as he was about to reply, the bell rang, saving him from yet another wave of embarrassment.

"You are very lucky, Mr. Ampora." The heavy blueblood told the boy before he turned to look at the rest of the class. "For tomorrow you shall all read the script page 394. I will be asking questions. You may leave."

The youngsters took their bags and left the room to head off to Hemo class. Horuss walked out of the room, his messenger bag on his shoulder.

As he walked out into the gothic courtyard, Cronus shoved him out of his way, chuckling at him before he walked away. Horuss glared in his direction and turned away, coming face to face with Eponaa.

"Problems with Cronus, I'm guessing?" she asked him, motioning to the young seadweller as he walked away. Horuss nodded and sighed.

"Yes."

"Am I sensing a little rivalry between you two?" she teased, nudging him with her elbow.

The boy looked at her sternly before he shook his head, crossing his arms "I'll have to talk with him later.

Eponaa nodded and looked away before she looked back to the courtyard, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Sure. Are you ready for the archery evaluation later? I heard some officials were coming to watch us today."

"Most certainly." Horuss replied with a bit of a grin "Now come, let's not chatter too much. Mrs. Mazzards doesn't tolerate tardiness." He said, taking Eponaa with him towards Hemo class.


	2. In which we are introduced to the Grand Highblood

It'd been barely two sweeps since the fall of the previous Grand Highblood and the rise of the new.

Kurloz Makara had spent one of those sweeps dragging the Carnival out of the gutter it had sunk to and establishing his rule over his brothers and sisters, doing his best to try and fix anything his predecessor had broken, getting rid of those who had closely followed him.

As he rose to power, he gained two loyal and wise advisors who had convinced him to take a henchman, very much like the previous Grand Highblood. 

Bluebloods, as far as he understood, were often used for their loyalty and strength. It was that understanding that had brought him and three others of his kind to be traveling to the Imperial Military Academy that night. The Highblood was accompanied by two older purple bloods, his advisors, and one of his closer brothers.

Eager wasn't necessarily the emotion that he felt. Kurloz understood that he needed more roots than the Carnival, but it unnerved him to take something and plant it with the rest of his brothers. He was still wary from what'd he'd been through in his wrigglerhood. Perhaps choosing a blue blood to take in would help that.

The purplebloods were welcomed by the principal of the academy and here then taken around campus by a tealblooded teacher who taught alternian History. Some students whispered as they saw the young Highblood, acknowledging his presence before they made comments once he was far enough from them. The seadwellers didn't budge too much where the landdwellers bowed their heads, not wanting to be considered rude or daring in front of the young Lord

The Highblood kept close to the others as they were led around the campus, grazing his eyes over the trolls that they passed. He glowered at the younger seadwellers, knowing that truly he had no real power over them. At least, not yet. Soon, hopefully.

At least the landdwellers had the sense to show him respect even with his relatively recent reign. They likely would have gotten cuffed if they hadn't.

 

"Here is the library." Announced the tealblood in a hushed tone as they entered said library, a tall room that stood over three levels, all in blackwood with stairs and ladders. There were also statues, marble busts of great politicians, writers, philosophers and scientists, men and women alike as well as busts of their former Emperors and Empresses. Behind the statue of Her Imperious Obliteration, the Empress that came before the current one, were young tealbloods who studied law and administration in their corner and greeted their History teacher as well as the purplebloods who walked with him.

They walked back out of the library and the teacher showed them some classrooms and study rooms as well as the school's opening onto the sea where teenage seadwellers were either studying or training to swim as fast as they could. They were already good swimmers, but they would have to be excellent for the Empress to notice them some day.

Cronus Ampora got out of the water, drying himself off with a towel one of his classmates (and admirers) had given him. He looked up and saw the young Highblood with his advisors accompanying their History teacher.

"Oi, Phyras." Called the young violetblood to the girl who had handed him a towel "The fuck are the clowns doin' 'ere?" he asked her. The girl shrugged, her fins moving slightly. She didn't know.

"Heard they were comin' to see the bluebloods' final exam." Suggested Gatson, another one of Cronus' classmates.

"Why would those fuckin' troglodytes want anything to do with that?"

Gatson smirked and leaned in as it to tell Cronus a secret.

"Heard that the new GHB wants a new toy."

"Y'can't be serious. He wants one of our bluecunts? Unbelievable." Scoffed Cronus as he glared in the purplebloods' general direction.

"D'you wanna go watch the blues do their thing, Cro?" asked Phyras.

"Do I look like I wanna see Zahhak and his little buddies twang on their bowstrings?" he asked sharply. Phyras pouted and Gatson put a hand on her shoulder, claiming that he'd go with her.

Meanwhile the History teacher was going off on a tangent about how they were a part of the most elite school on the planet and that he was proud to teach her, as his techniques were unrivalled. Kurloz was growing bored of the man's ramblings and held a hand up, glaring down at him to silently tell him to shut his goddamn mouth.

The tealblood looked up to the Highblood with wide eyes, blinking at him.

"I want to see the bluebloods." Said the Highblood in a low, commanding voice.

The teablood nodded hastily and made his way through the purplebloods to take them to the shooting range. They were followed by other students, including Cronus and his gang of seadwellers who had convinced him to watch.

"This is the shooting range where we train the future archeradicators." said the history teacher "The class is overseen by Ms. Jugumast, who is simply the best instructor in the land." he said with a nervous chuckle

Meanwhile, in the group of bluebloods, Chiron was beaming. He nudged Eponaa while pointing to the purplebloods "See! I told you we had guests!"

"Yes, Chiron, I saw them." she muttered as she pulled on the string of her bow to make sure it was well-adjusted. Horuss looked over them as he polished his bow so it would be just right.

His eyes wavered over to the Grand Highblood. Early this evening they had barely been talking about him and his rise to power, as he took over the throne after the previous Grand Highblood's departure.

After the tyrant's death, his six heirs and heiresses had to fight to death to earn their place on the throne, that was all he had known so far. The Grand Highblood was a strapping young man, tall and strong in build, he seemed to be older than Horuss by a few sweeps. He was… Intimidating.

Eponaa scoffed slightly at the way Horuss was looking at the Lord and spoke up.

"Why would the Grand Highblood be here? What's the purpose of—"

She was cut by Ms. Jugumast's booming voice which ordered the youngsters to line up for their evaluation. They were called one by one to shoot a single arrow in the target. The first of Horuss' roommates to be up for the shots was Chiron. The wind was not in his favour tonight, and neither were his hands as he positioned himself only to shoot a crooked arrow which nearly missed the target.

Some of the bluebloods snickered while the seadwellers who came to watch were roaring with laughter. The boy went back to his group shamefully, muttering to himself about how he should’ve trained more.

Eponaa was next, standing straight, chest puffed out as she shot a look at the Grand Highblood, making sure that she was watching. She pretended not to know in front of her friends, but Gatson had told her what the Highblood's intentions were, and she wanted the place as his henchwoman. She pulled on the bowstring, brows knit together, and she was just about to shoot when a seadweller snapped at her.

"HEY, BLUEBITCH! SHOOT THE GODDAMN ARROW ALREADY!"

Her gang laughed and Eponaa's arrow was sent flying, missing the bullseye by a few inches. She turned around to sneer at the seadwellers who were just snickering in their corner. Ms. Jugumast glared at the young nobles as well, hands on her hips.

"YOU. Silence yourselves. You may stay here to watch if you do not disturb my students." She snapped at them before she looked back to the Grand Highblood.

"Please do excuse them, my Lord. We do encourage aggression between students here, but we do not tolerate deliberate disruption."

"I see." Muttered the purpleblood, leaning over the fence. He was looking at the group of bluebloods. All of them were tall and strong-looking, boys and girls alike. Any of them would be a perfect henchman or woman… But he needed to choose. He decided to play this as a game, a game of eenie-meenie-minie-mo. All those who got close to the bullseye would be good candidates for the job. His eyes went to Eponaa, a fine young lady, not too ugly either, though he weighed his options and looked around, thinking about how exactly he should choose.

"Is something wrong, my Lord?" asked one of the advisors.

"No." he said simply "I'm just thinking."

The advisor nodded and went back to his place, back to talking with his pair.

The purples accompanying Kurloz would make small comments about some blue or another, pointing out weaknesses or strengths. One of the older ones mused that even if the one chosen to return with them to the castle were to be bitter, or rebellious, surely it wouldn't be a problem to simply make them bend with the strong voodoos.

Kurloz was only half listening to the elder trolls. He'd kept his chuckle voodoos beneath lock and key since the death of his predecessor. The need to use them had never arisen.

He marvelled privately at how good Archeradicators were at their job even in training. Bows had never been of interest to him. He'd always preferred merely his hand and his teeth, or clubs if necessary.

The Highblood watched as one of the blues was called up to shoot, taking in the young man's appearance, tracing him. His ears gave a small twitch and he resisted the urge to breathe more deeply to try and catch the blue's scent. He looked strong and his stance was sure of himself. He'd remember him later when the time came for him to choose one of the young Archeradicators in training.

Horuss was there, standing in the adequate position, seeming strong and proud as he took his arrow and brought it to his bow, breathing slowly before he pulled on the bowstring, slowly, slowly.

Cronus was aching to yell at him, to throw him off balance so he wouldn't be chosen by the Grand Highblood… But the instructor was glaring at him, so he stayed silent.

The strong blueblood let go of the bowstring, sending the arrow piercing through the air as he bared his teeth. The arrow flew with a quick, volatile sound before it hit the bullseye.

Horuss was, after all, the perfect archer.

His classmates applauded, congratulating him for his excellent shot.

"Shall I line up the best students, my Lord?" asked the instructor, motioning to her students.

"No need to line them up." the Highblood muttered "That one is perfect."

Kurloz climbed over the fence and walked through the shooting range, walking as nimbly as a tightrope walker. He walked over to meet Horuss, hands behind his back. His advisors and friend rushed over to follow him, as did the instructor.

"What's this one's name?" asked Kurloz as he placed a hand on Horuss' head, his massive hand taking up the space between the young man's horns, very much like one would touch a puppy in a pet store before buying it.

"Horuss Zahhak, my Lord." Said the instructor as hastily as she could "He is the top of his year, out of all castes. Straight-A student. A healthy mind in a healthy body."

"How old are you, boy?" asked the Highblood, leering down on the young man.

"I will be nine sweeps old in the next perigee, my Lord." He told him as professionally as possible.

The Highblood have him a large grin, exposing his knife-like teeth.

"Good."

Horuss didn't flinch. He had no reason to. This man had no intentions of killing him… At least not right now.  He simply had a hand over his vascular pump as he bowed down.

"I want this one." Announced the Highblood with a nod.

"Sir, my Lord, it is the greatest of honours…"

The corners of the Highblood's lips twitched upwards slightly at how compliant the blue seemed to be to his choice. The tip of the claw of his thumb scraped over the his cheek, then the side of his throat enough to sting but not enough to leave a mark or to draw blood.

Kurloz turned to look at the teacher as if looking for some sort of challenge to his decision, some reason or another to keep the student there. He wanted to take this blue blood home to their castle - his castle - and away from this place.

His skin felt warm under his hand. He was so used to the body temperatures that were the same as his own and nothing else. Touching something warmer than himself was foreign and enticing in the same manner.

"Zahhak." The young Lord said in a murmur, looking down on the blue blood he had chosen. The name seemed to suit him. He wanted to know more about him. He simply felt inclined to.

The older purples stepped forward to begin speaking with the teacher, likely impatient to just take the archer in training into their care and get home before any more time had passed. The Highblood let them, putting all of his attention to the blue, lifting the claw away from her throat.

His nostrils flared slightly as he inhaled her scent, leaning forward slightly like a curious beast. His eyes swept over his body, tracing him. The Highblood's close friend sidled forward to drape himself over the Highblood's back, peering curiously at Horuss.

The blueblood watched as these two large trolls peered at him in this beastly manner.

The archery instructor told the other students to go back to their training, they did so, all except Chiron and Eponaa who didn't stay too far, they wanted to stay with their friend for a little while before he was to leave. To say goodbye one last time.

"Sir, my Lord, may I say goodbye to my roomates before I leave?" asked Horuss, looking up to his new Master.

Said Master waved his hand and nodded "You may. Be quick."

The bluebloods met in a circle, Chiron hugged his friend and Eponaa gave him a nod, feeling a slight tang of jealousy.

"I'll find you a good position, I promise." Whispered Horuss to his roommates before one of the purplebloods cleared their throat, ordering him over.

The young blueblood got up and gave his friends one last nod before he left them behind and walked off with the Highbloods.

This would be the beginning of a new life for him.


	3. In which we read some personal letters

****

" _Dearest Aranea,_

_I have the most e%cellent of news. I have been taken out of the Academy. I have not been e%pelled, I assure you. I have, however, been destined to a much higher fate; the Grand High100d has chosen me to become his henchman.  
Can you believe it, my friend? I, as a young b100b100d who has barely reached the sweet age of nine sweeps, have been selected among my peers to serve the Grand Highb100d Himself. It is a dream come true, Aranea. My fate is quite e%ceptional, and I thank the Gods for giving me this opportunity. _

_My Lord and Master has given me permission to send receive letters to and from my companions and quadrantmates. Naturally, you are the first person that came to mind, my dearest friend._  
It almost feels like it was yesterday, when we were younglings, running in the fields, beating up gutterb100ds and feeding them to your lusus.  
Good times.

 _I am cordially inviting you to come to my official investiture into the_ _Highb100d's church that will take place ne%t week. I know that you do not enjoy ceremonies, but it would please me greatly that you would grace us with your presence._

_I must cut this letter short for now. Please find enclosed the directions and password to the Castle in case you do indeed decide to show up.  
I eagerly await your reply._

_Yours truly, your dearest friend and Moirail,_

_Horuss Zahhak_ _♦_

_PS: Have you received my previous letter and package? I sent you a dress and necklace for your wriggling day last perigee. I hope that the package did not get lost in the mail (or stolen, who knows?).  
I am, again, sorry that I could not come back home to celebrate it with you. Nine sweeps is an important age, after all."_

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

_"My dear Horuss,_

_I have indeed received your letter and package. I am wearing the necklace at the moment, though I am not sure I can find use for the frock you 8ought me. I am touched that you were thoughtful enough to buy me an actual dress for my wriggling day. Really, I am flattered._

_Your news warms my heart, even though I have always told you that you needn’t slave yourself away for the glory of the Empire. As a good friend, I cannot do anything 8ut encourage you, and that is what I shall do; encourage you._

_I wish that you would encourage me as well. Do you remem8ber my dream, when we were wrigglers? The one of 8ecoming a pir8 and sailing the Seven Seas? Well, that is what I shall 8e doing from now on._  
I am writing to you from the ta8letop of a tavern 8y the port of our hometown. A corsair who goes 8y the name of 8ackhand has accepted to t8ke me with him on his ship.  
We leave tomorrow.

_It appears, my friend, that out paths are diverging. You are going off to serve the Empire while I am off to fulfil my dreams.  I shall send you letters whenever I can, though I do not wish to compromise myself in c8se the clowns ever wish to come after me. Therefore, I regret that I have to tell you that no, I shall not 8e present at your ceremonial entry in the Carnival._

_Adieu, Horuss, until we meet again,_

_Aranea Serket_ _♦"_


	4. In which we meet the Lady of Death

Putting his moirail’s letter aside, Horuss sighed and looked around his assigned respiteblock.

It had been a week since he had arrived in the Grand Highblood’s castle and he had quickly accommodated to it.

He was in his predecessor’s room which had been voided of all personal effects. He wondered what had happened do them. Did they die? Were they asked to leave as the new Grand Highblood came to power? The Master had been quite secretive on the matter and Horuss refused to pry, but something was nagging at him to know…

The room was all in black and blue with a large bed in the middle, a large wardrobe and a trunk where the young man settled the clothes that were tailored for him as well as his personal belongings. On a shelf were books bound in dark leather and not far from the shelf was a desk which was perfectly neat and tidy.

Horuss got up from the chair he was sitting on and had unbuttoned his shirt as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was spotless as usual, albeit looking a bit tired.

He sighed and pressed his forehead against the mirror before he turned to his bed, discarding his shirt and rolling his shoulders.

Horuss was surprised at first that the Highblood didn’t offer him a recuperacoon, but a sleeping platform with navy blue coloured sheets and pillows instead. He was told that sleeping without spoor increased the amount of adrenaline in his veins at night, and he took the Master’s word for it.

The boy managed to sleep in this bed surprisingly well, though his dreams were much stranger and more vivid than the ones he had before. Most of them involved him on the back of a majestic hoofbeast as they rode into battle, shooting his arrows into the hearts of his enemies as the sun rose over the bloodied battlefield.

This time was different, however.

He slipped into bed and tried to relax, tossing and turning beneath the sheets. His mind was well awake and vividly so. He was nervous as he thought about his titular ceremony . He was to become the Executor, the Right Hand of the Grand Highblood. It was the highest of honours that could have been given to a boy of his caste… Yet, in this instant, he could not find peace.

His torment was soon cut short as he heard a crackling noise coming from the grand window.

The boy jolted up and there, sitting on the window sill, was a woman.

A tall, slender woman with high curved horns. She wore a fluorescent green qipao and held black wands in her hands. Her long legs were crossed and she looked down on the young man calmly, watching his reaction to her.

The young troll stared at the woman's figure for a moment, rubbing his eyes before he stared at her again, his eyes widening, pupils retracting in fear once he recognized who he had in front of him.

The Demoness, the Lady of Death Herself was in front of him, sitting on his window sill, waiting patiently. He couldn't believe it, she was here, and she was just as beautiful as the lengends told; however she das this dark aura around her, something that would strike fear into the hearts of any man.

“I am glad to see that you are awake, Horuss.” She told him, setting her wands away before she crossed her legs the other way.

The boy stared at the woman’s legs for a moment before he gulped and looked up, his mouth opening though no words came out. He was, to put it simply, petrified.

"Have you any sort of idea what I'm here for, Horuss?" She tilted her head and got up from the window sill to walk over to the bed, hips swaying with every step before she sat on the foot of his bed. "Before you get ahead of yourself, I'm not here for your soul, so you needn't fear of that for now." She muttered as she fixed a strand of hair behind her ear. Of course she didn't expect him to know the answer to her question. Here he was, a young man jolted out of a sleepy haze by a mysterious woman that was only supposed to be of myth and lore. What could she possibly want from him other than his soul? She would have had no gain in lying to him, but it likely wasn't out of the question.

The young troll stared up at her in shock, his deep, shadowed eyes of which the irises were barely starting to turn blue, a testimony of how young he was. He sat there, almost paralyzed in fear and anticipation. His chest was bare and his legs were hidden by the blue sheets. The room was hot as hell as the Highblood insisted that his new henchman needed to be nice and warm at night... So Horuss had opened the window before he went to bed, unknowing that he would receive a visitor.

 No, he did not know what the Handmaiden Herself was doing in his room. As she asked the question, he shook his head, breathing a little frantically. She was there, in front of him and she was beautifully terrifying. She was a troll and her blood colour was a mystery, as she seemed to be wearing a colour that wasn't associated with any caste. So he wondered, left confused by the woman in front of him.

"I didn't expect you to. Nevertheless, I'm simply here to welcome you into the partnership. The partnership between us, that is. You see, once you are officially appointed, you will take on the title of Executioner Darkleer. At that moment you will become something of a servant to me. You will do the dirty work of the officials and I will reap their souls." She stated matter-of-factly. As she took another look at her soon to be partner in crime, she made a note of his blatant terror.

 In fact it looked as though he was even trying to make sense of her, something that always brought her amusement. "But really, if you have any questions, I'm sure I can answer them. After all, it's only appropriate that I offer guidance when I am the one hosting your duties."

Horuss stared up at her, lips quivering before he got a hold of himself. She was telling him that he had no reason to fear her... He was confused, truly confused, and he had no idea if this was real life or fantasy. He listened to her forseeing. So he would become the new head Executor, he would take on a new name and he would... Serve this woman. He wasn't against it, per se, he lived to serve, though this Mistress was quite unexpected. He was still sitting straight in his bed and cleared his throat, quirking a brow at the woman "Well... How can I be sure that this is real and not just a dream?"

  
"Oh, dear child… You can, of course, live on believing I am simply a phantasm of your imagination. But what will you believe when I return when you are most certainly not asleep? What will you believe when you see me once more and you have corpses strewn about you? You are a map in time and I will be at every one of those tollhouses, and then you shall see…." She replied, hesitant at first but smooth and confident as she continued. After a moment of waiting for his reply, she stood up and leapt onto the window sill with ease and grace.

"Rest well, Executor."

With that, she was gone.

As she disappeared, he jolted from his bed and rushed towards the window, leaning over the edge.

“My Lady…?” he called softly, his voice a bit hoarse as he looked around frantically.

She had been so vague, so elusive. So... Strange. He didn't want to believe that all of this was but a dream.

Shaking his head, he sighed and went back to bed, tying his long black hair up in a ponytail. He felt some sort of void inside of him, as if he had been given something wonderful and it had been snatched away from him.

Perhaps, he thought, if he got some rest, he wouldn’t feel as empty.


End file.
